Shloka 97

Adhyāya 96: Nārada Guides Mātali in Varuṇa’s Realm

Varuṇa-loka Darśana

Devanagari script

इति श्रीमहाभारते उद्योगपर्वणि भगवद्यानपर्वणि मातलिवरान्वेषणे सप्तनवतितमो<5ध्याय:

Transliteration

iti śrīmahābhārate udyogaparvaṇi bhagavadyānaparvaṇi mātalivarānveṣaṇe saptanavatitamo 'dhyāyaḥ

Translation

So endet im Śrī Mahābhārata, im Udyoga Parva, im Abschnitt über die Sendung des Herrn (Bhagavad-yāna), in der Begebenheit von der Suche nach dem vortrefflichen Wagenlenker Mātali, das siebenundneunzigste Kapitel. Dieses Kolophon bezeichnet den Abschluss einer Erzähleinheit, die pflichtgebundenes Handeln und Rat in der Vorzeit des Krieges rahmt.

Word by Word

• इति: thus; end-quote marker
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: इति

• श्रीमहाभारते: in the revered Mahabharata
• श्रीमहाभारते: Adhikarana
• Type: Noun
• Root: श्रीमहाभारत
• Form: Neuter, Locative, Singular

• उद्योगपर्वणि: in the Udyoga-parvan
• उद्योगपर्वणि: Adhikarana
• Type: Noun
• Root: उद्योगपर्वन्
• Form: Neuter, Locative, Singular

• भगवद्यानपर्वणि: in the Bhagavad-yana sub-parvan
• भगवद्यानपर्वणि: Adhikarana
• Type: Noun
• Root: भगवद्यानपर्वन्
• Form: Neuter, Locative, Singular

• मातलिवरान्वेषणे: in the (section) 'search for Mātali's boon/excellent (thing)'
• मातलिवरान्वेषणे: Adhikarana
• Type: Noun
• Root: मातलिवरान्वेषण
• Form: Neuter, Locative, Singular

• सप्तनवतितमः: ninety-seventh (ordinal)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: सप्तनवतितम
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Singular

• अध्यायः: chapter
• Type: Noun
• Root: अध्याय
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Singular

Speaker

कण्व उवाच

Characters & Entities

• Mahābhārata
• Udyoga Parva
• Bhagavad-yāna Parva
• Mātali

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

This line is a colophon rather than a didactic verse; its function is to mark textual closure and locate the chapter within the Mahābhārata’s larger ethical narrative—preparations, counsel, and duty (dharma) as the conflict approaches.

What is happening in the narrative?

The statement announces the end of the ninety-seventh chapter in the Udyoga Parva, specifically within the Bhagavad-yāna section, and identifies the episode-theme as the search for the excellent Mātali.